Seed sites that have dependable outcomes?

10 years ago

I am lucky that I mostly germinated annuals this season. I have
been sorely disappointed. The pink and purple, double zinnias, I wanted?
Came out bright orange and single. Ugly. Not like 'Inca' would
be. Or I wanted a crystal clear white snapdragon? Dusty pink. I keep
thinking it's time to figure out the perennials I want for the bed, and I
need to get seeds to have plants to put in the ground, but if I bought
them now, germinated them, put them ground, overwintered them, and they
bloomed next summer--but not what I wanted--it'd kill me. It's hard
enough for annuals, but I got to see the blooms almost immediately. This
was across the board. Many seed providers. I've found so many to
exclude, I'm almost left with no one to use.

So any dependable perennial seed purveyors?

Featured Answer

party_music50

10 years ago

last modified: 10 years ago

I'm a seed-saver... I can send you a variety of stuff like that (my fresh seed) if you want. My gift for your 'new' house! If you want to get started now, I can select from what I already have available -- or I can wait and collect specific seed for you. e.g., I have both tall and miniature platycodon. I'm already planning on saving my own pyrethrum, sweet william, and 'White Swan' echinacea this year. Have lots of foxglove and dictamnus seed from last year. etc. etc. Can you msg me on here?

ETA: I currently have things like rose campion and campanula persicifolia (blue) with seedheads, so LMK soon. lol!

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Comments (9)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
10 years ago
Are you buying from ebay or Amazon? I've heard very bad reports from people who go that route.

My primary seed sources for flowers and vegetables have been Park Seed, Bakers, Territorial, Johnny's, and Burpee. A few others here and there when something strikes me, like Swallowtail Garden. Pretty mainstream seed houses, I guess.

I honestly can't remember ever having problems with germination or variety, even when I was buying large volumes of seeds from Park's wholesale division.

They did send me a couple of cases of the wrong plugs once, though. They promptly resolved that issue!
rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
I'm not buying from Amazon or Ebay. I am buying from purveyors that I have used for more than a decade. They germinate well, but not what the seller says they'll be. White snap dragons straight outta the package should have no reason to be pink.

Oh, and very mainstream seed sellers
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rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author
10 years ago
I meant to say, isn't that really disappointing? Companies I used to be able to depend upon, I can no longer. Phooey!!!!
party_music50
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
It's very disappointing when you get bad seed or the wrong seed... that happened to me a lot in GW seed trades, but they were just for fun anyway. :) It also happens occasionally from a standard commercial source (e.g., wrong tomato once from Burpee, one entire shipment of seeds from White Flower Farms with abysmal germination rates, and I'm currently trying a new-to-me OP pepper from High Mowing Seeds and one plant has peppers on it that are the wrong color and shape. lol!

Rob, what perennials are you looking for?
rob333 (zone 7b)
Original Author
10 years ago
Campanula, platycodon, basic stuff. I've only been there months still and it has nothing yet.
deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
10 years ago
I ordered several seeds from Swallowtail and have been very disappointed in germination rates of some. Generally Swallowtail is very dependable. Seed pots planted side by side at the same time, some varieties had great germination, others poor to none. Will contact Swallowtail later as I'll give it just a few more weeks. But, it has been almost two months now. Swallowtail is generally very highly regarded.
rob333 (zone 7b) thanked deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
lucillle
10 years ago
Check out Dave's Garden Watchdog
TNflowerlover Zone 7a
10 years ago
My three favorites are Everwilde, GeoSeed, and Sample Seeds. I have occasional issues with them, but it is rare enough that I figure those must be my fault in some way.